The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to defect detection. More specifically, the present invention relates to detection of irregularities in a part of a mechanical machine, such as turbo machine part.
In a modern mechanical machine, such as a turbo machine, a plurality of parts work together to perform the machine's function. These parts must be assembled in such a way that all of the parts mesh together correctly. This often requires exact tolerances for such parts elements as part size and/or dimensions and/or the size and/or dimensions of any hole, slot, etc., that is located in the part. A variance in any of these tolerances can cause the part and/or the machine as a whole not to function for its intended purpose. Additionally, or in the alternative, a variance in any of these tolerances can cause a decrease in the lifespan of a machine part. In a high-stress environment, this can lead to an abrupt failure in such a part.
One example of a potentially high-stress environment is a turbo machine. Conventional turbo machines (e.g., gas turbine, steam turbine) are frequently utilized to generate power. More specifically, a working fluid such as hot gas or steam is conventionally forced across sets of turbo machine blades, which are coupled to the rotor of the turbo machine. The force of the working fluid on the blades causes those blades (and the coupled body of the rotor) to rotate. In many cases, the rotor body is coupled to the drive shaft of a dynamoelectric machine such as an electric generator. In this sense, initiating rotation of the turbo-machine rotor can initiate rotation of the drive shaft in the electric generator, and cause that generator to generate an electrical current (associated with power output).